Feb 25, 2024 - Culture
Photos: Black Chicago history, 50 years ago
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Two men on the South Side in May 1974. Image courtesy John White/US National Archives. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
For Black History Month, Axios is unearthing photos of Black America 50 years ago.
Zoom in: There's a trove of fascinating images from Black Chicago around that time, most taken by Pulitzer-prize winning Chicago photographer John White.
The intrigue: In one photo of a counter at a jewelry store, the caption read that Chicago had the most Black-owned businesses in the country.
- Black Enterprises Magazine reported at the time that Chicago had 14 of the nation's top 100 Black-owned businesses, one more than New York.
- Atlanta holds that distinction today.
